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  #1  
Old 03-16-2016, 10:54 AM
Kabous Kabous is offline
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Default 6082 and 1050 gasweld

I am teaching myself gaswelding ali and according to info on the web, 6082 (1.2mm sheet, 16ga i think) has good weldability but that has not been the case with me.

Some years back I used tig to weld some thicker pieces and when the area became shiny, you knew you could start welding and it didn't looked too bad. With 6082 I dont see that 'shining' bit, it just becomes crinkley and drops out shortly after. Thinnish filler wire cant seem to fill up quick enough and I have resorted to using strips of the sheet which feeds faster in the puddle but the welds look awful. I've tried less heat which doesnt want to melt the ali and more heat which makes the mess just quicker.

I am using Kent's midget and point tips 1-4. I've scrubbed with new s/s brush, acetoned, panels tight-fitted, right flux (Kents), heated that but nothing seemed to work and would at most manage a centimeter or two on the odd occasion.

Gas quality might be a problem as I see the flame now and again produces an orange flare but that is only occasionally. Would a acetylene filter sort the problem or does the problem lie somewhere else.

Luckily I haven't taken photos of the welds and posts them in an emotionally weak moment which might have ended in me getting booted from the forum.

Next i would like to try the 1050 and see if the results are any better. Is the 1050 easier to weld?

I know i am doing something wrong. Does welding different kinds of alloys make that much of a difference?

Any suggestions would be very welcome.
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Old 03-16-2016, 11:42 AM
weldtoride weldtoride is offline
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Originally Posted by Kabous View Post
... I dont see that 'shining' bit, it just becomes crinkley and drops out shortly after. ...
Gas quality might be a problem as I see the flame now and again produces an orange flare but that is only occasionally. Would a acetylene filter sort the problem or does the problem lie somewhere else....Any suggestions would be very welcome.
Cobus, that "crinkly" surface is the oxides forming on top of the liquid puddle that is underneath. When you see the surface start to go crinkly like that, you have a puddle underneath, so run with it. Push your rod thru the crinkly surface and into the puddle.

The reason TIG puddles show up as shiny is because TIG is an oxygen free environment. O/A is not, so oxides form immediately.

Is the orange flare from your flame, or from the flux? Flux will produce a flare, but the flame by itself should not.
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Last edited by weldtoride; 03-16-2016 at 11:46 AM.
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Old 03-16-2016, 03:08 PM
Gareth Davies Gareth Davies is offline
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The reason TIG puddles show up as shiny is because TIG is an oxygen free environment.
It's not just that, the continuous HF that runs on ally TIG sets is what breaks the oxide layer up to show the pool.
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Old 03-16-2016, 03:48 PM
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Have you tried to apply the flux mix only on the bottem side and on your filler rod? You can see more this way.

Frank
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Old 03-16-2016, 04:16 PM
elavir elavir is offline
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Hi Cobus,
learning gaswelding ali isn't easy and takes a lot of time and practice but don't give up.
I have no experience with 6082, only 1050 which is a good material for gaswelding.
Try it this way:
Take large sheets( I learned it on 1,5mm, thin enough to start with) for example 300x300mm, not smaller. If you do that the sheet will be to hot to soon and the welds will drop.(You should have seen my first attempts)
Scratch lines on the sheets( as an indication to weld the bead on) and start with a nozzle with a hole of 1mm. Clean the surface and apply flux. Adjust the regulators at about 0,2/0,3 bar and keep the cone small with a feather of 15mm. Heat the sheet and start at the beginning of a scratch. When the surface begins to wrinkle start dipping the rod(cut it from the sheet). You have to learn yourself what suits you, speed,heat etc.
Don't give up, it's not difficult but you have to find out what suits you.
Cheers Richard.
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Last edited by elavir; 03-17-2016 at 11:49 AM.
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Old 03-17-2016, 04:26 PM
Kabous Kabous is offline
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Thanks Mark and Gareth, it sure helps knowing this.

Will try that Frank, at one time had the HAZ swimming in flux to see if that would help. Hopefully less is more.

Ok Richard, seems a good way to start learning, don't know why I haven't thought of that. Thanks for the pressure settings and nozzle size. Will post some pics if there is acceptable improvement.

I know this subject has been talked to death so appreciate all input.
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Old 03-17-2016, 06:15 PM
steve3 steve3 is offline
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only thing that stands out to me is seeing orange flame, so? what lenses are you using? i always used cobalt blue but not sure if they still available or something new has replaced them, without the right lenses its really hard to achieve a nice weld. pictures would be a bonus here. good luck!
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Old 03-18-2016, 03:14 AM
Kabous Kabous is offline
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Didn't see it when using the TM2000 lens but it was when I flipped it up, had a look at the weld and per chance saw the orange brightening of the flame next to me. Didn't happen too often so I wondered if the gas may be dirty.
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Old 03-18-2016, 03:20 AM
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If you burn sodium the flame will color orange. Like those guys blowing glass. Glass is also a sodium and it's the main part of the flux.

Frank
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Old 03-18-2016, 10:13 AM
weldtoride weldtoride is offline
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Quote:
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Didn't see it when using the TM2000 lens but it was when I flipped it up, had a look at the weld and per chance saw the orange brightening of the flame next to me. Didn't happen too often so I wondered if the gas may be dirty.
Could you have possibly gotten the torch tip too close to the puddle and it picked up a bit of flux? I've done that.
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